Just a reminder that tonight's our premiere party for Don't Quit Your Gay Job. The show will screen at 1181 Tight Lounge on Davie Street at 7:30 pm. I'm suggesting you get there around 7pm so you don't miss the start of the show, have time to grab a drink, etc etc. Xtra.ca showed us some love last week with a special Q&A feature. Check it out here.

As promised last week, here's the next installment of Xtra Xposed, featuring a very good friend of mine and brilliant photographer: Brandon Gaukel.

He's launching a new magazine in September and is on my list of Vancouverites to watch. Here's what he had to tell Up Your Alley...

1) Who the hell are you and what do you do?

Hello, Up Your Alley, I am Brandon Gaukel. I am a professional photographer. I work out of the lower mainland and work mainly as a editorial photographer. You can find me shooting gays on a cruise or a hardcore fashion shoot.

2) Sometimes it feels like every person I meet nowadays claims to be either a photographer or a DJ. How hard is it to be a professional photographer in Vancouver?
 
What a coincidence. I also DJ. Vancouver is supposed to have more professional photographers per capita than any other major city. I kinda believe it, work is sometimes scarce, especially for those like me who are trying to make a name for themselves. But I always say, if I want it bad enough it will happen. So far so good.

3) How long have you been working as a photographer?

I have been shooting professionally for two years.

4) What do you prefer to shoot?

I love being given an assignment and asked to document it. Whether it be a person, place or thing. The thrill of capturing a moment is still what keeps me picking up my camera. But I excel in editorial portraits and fashion. I love creating beauty and finding new definitions on the word.

5) How has working for Xtra changed your take on photographer?

I have been put in weird situations and go to places I would never be caught dead at. Nudie dance party anyone?  It is cool to see some queer subcultures in Vancouver. This city is full of characters and whoever said this city was No Fun City was clearly not a queer photographer. I have seen some different stuff and been paid to take photos of it. Xtra is also a good client and as you would know, your name in print is never a bad thing.

6) I've heard a lot of buzz about your new business venture: Sad Magazine. What is it? What should people expect?

Sad Mag is the new little magazine that could. One hot summer evening my good friend Deanne Beattie and I drank countless glasses of sangria and decided we should start our own magazine. Crazy but so inspired. We wanted a place where we could publish work we were truly proud of — the kind of stuff we couldn’t pitch to our editors or clients because they just wouldn’t get it. I wanted to showcase Vancouver talent and foster a new wave of creativity in this city. This city ain't sad people, it is Sad Magazine. We have a great team, amazing writers and talented visual artists. Also a sexy and wet design to the magazine. I am in love with it and I have been staring at it forever.

7) When does it launch and what sort of party are you throwing to celebrate your hard work?

Our magazine launches September 17th and we are hosting a Launch Party a the Anza Club.

Thursday, September 17, 2009
ANZA Club, #3 West 8th Avenue (@Ontario)
8:00 p.m. to late!
$5—$10 sliding scale

Our debut party features:

A Performance by our feature story's Isolde N. Barron, DJ sets by Jef Leppard and DJ BJ vs. Lonny Gaga and art installations.

Cheap drinks and the best company Vancouver has to offer. More info here: http://www.sadmag.ca/2009/08/20/sad-mag-launch-party/

8) Where can people check out your work?
My website: www.gaukel.ca
Fun stuff and my take on photography and magazines: http://brandongaukelphotography.blogspot.com
Sad Mag's website: www.sadmag.ca
Stalk me: http://twitter.com/bgaukel

Brandon loving his photos in print

Mutton dressed as lamb? Methinks this is the case, people. The GAYEST video on the internet. Bitch please.

As a precursor to tomorrow`s Xtra Xposed, I give you the fine eye of Brandon Gaukel, fellow Xtra contributer, man-about-town and general genius of the photographic variety. Lest ye forget, Wiggle is one of Vancouver`s largest celebrations of guerilla couture. On July 15th, I may or may not have sported a ginormous condo tower as a hat and donned red sparkly ladies` underwear to razzle dazzle a capacity crowd.

Let`s face it. It`s Thursday. A photo series is about all I can take at this point. Just relaxicate your mind and enjoy.

For a full photo show, click here. 

So. I've devoted this week to finishing my second book. It's going to be a tribute to fashion. I'm co-writing with Toronto friend/playwright/author David Brock. Alas. He is straight. I know. Shocking. But still, he knows his way around a blank sheet of paper. If you know what I mean.

As you can probably tell by this non-sensical drivel, it's been a hard day at the home office for yours truly. Ever wondered what it takes to write a book? Stop wondering. It will drive you mad. Mad. MAD!

In any case, another good friend o' mine, however, has been sending me links non-stop. Although I hear he'll be starting his own blog soon, foolish is the man who refuses free gifts of internet weirdness when they are directly mailed to my inbox.

Check it out:

As you see, this comes from explainthisimage.com.

As promised, here goes:

Step 1: Clean your patio. Everyone knows that homosexuals have clean patios. This isn't a stereotype. It's just how it is, okay?

Step 2: Tie an old craptop to your penis. Do not tie a new laptop. If your penis was to fall off and the new laptop was to break, the only person who could understand most of your troublems would be a living, breathing, life-sized Ken Doll...and what would he know, anyway?

Step 3: Set up your Canon megapixel something-or-other and make sure to tilt it on the up angle. You are like a god. Do not let your camera ruin your big moment.

Step 4: Dig out that sign you used to wear to creative writing class in university. They didn't understand how serious you were then, but they certainly will now.

Step 5: Light your torches. (Obviosuly)

Step 6: Set the timer on your camera and make sure you set the camera to take many pictures instead of just one. You didn't tie a craptop to your dick for nothing.

Step 7: Stand up on your favourite patio chairs and stand tall and proud! Yeah you are! Shit, girl! You are the ruler of the free world! The many millimeters your penis will gain from this is definitely worth it. Gold star.

Turns out that Europe has crowned their new gay king and it's Sergio Lara, former Mr. Gay España...and I, for one, couldn't be happier: